Fold-holding device.



No. 891,730. PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908. H. T. PITGHER.

FOLD HOLDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.18, 1908.

- WITNESSES [A/VE/VTOR H 3%) i F c. h e r- Azlurncy s nu: NORRIS PETERS cm, v/Asnmnmrv, c. c.

HARRIETT T. PITGHER, OF MOUNT PLEASANT, IOWA.

FOLD-HOLDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1908.

Application filed February 18, 1908. Serial No. 416,531.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, HARRIETT T. PITOHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Pleasant, in the county of Henry and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Fold-Holding Devices; and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in fold-holding devices and more particularly to that class adapted to be used by dressmakers or tailors for holding the folded edge of a strip of cloth while the folded edges thereof are deing pressed in position with an iron or otherwise,

A further object is to provide means for keeping the surface of the strip smooth. A

further object is to provide means for exerting downward pressure adjacent the ed es of the strip while passing through the ho lding device and a still further object is to provide means for receiving the end of an iron, whereby the holding device may be moved longitudinally of the strip in front of the iron.

Other objects and advantages will be here inafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are made apart of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a strip of cloth showing my improved holding device in position thereon and a smoothing iron in engagement with the holder. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, central, sectional view on an enlarged scale through the strip of cloth and holding device, and, Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectional view pphrough the device as indicated by line 33,

Iteferring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indi cates a strip of cloth, the selvage edges 2 and 3 of which are adapted to be folded inwardly before the strip is attached to a garment, to render the exposed edges of the strip erfectly smooth. In order to retain the e ges in their folded position until the stri can be secured to the garment, said fol ed edges are preferably pressed by pass ing a heated iron over the surface thereof and in retaining the strip at a uniform width, I provide my improved holding device, which consists of a frame 4, the longitudinal edges 5 and 6 of which are bent inwardly to form channels 7 and 8, respectively, through which pass the folded edges of the strip 1 when the frame is moved longi tudinally of the strip.

Extending forwardly from the frame 4 is a stretching device 9, which is formed from one piece of wire, which is bent at its longi tudinal center until the two sections of the wire are parallel with each other, the integral portion 10 of the two sections being engaged by a loop 11, carried by the frame 4, said loop being preferably formed by extending parallel slits inwardly from the forward end of the frame and forming the severed portion into a loop as shown.

The parallel ortions of the wire are extended forward y a distance from the frame and curved downwardly and outwardly to form stretching bars 12, said bars extending rearwardly and at an angle to the longitudinal axial plane of the frame, the rear end of said stretching bars terminating in rearwardly extending'fingers 13, which fingers enter the channels 7 and 8 and are adapted to exert downward pressure on the interdownwardly and posed edges of the strip 1 and firmly hold the edges 2 and 3 in their folded position.

In the rear edge of the frame 4 is formed a substantially V-shaped notch 14, which notch is formed at the axial center of the frame and is adapted to receive the point of the usual or any preferred form of smoothing iron 15, said notch serving to hold the iron in engagement with the frame while the iron is being moved longitudinally of the strip.

In applying my improved holding device to use, the ed es of the strip of cloth are first manually fold ed, after which one end of the strip is entered through the frame 4 and the edges thereof located in the channels 7 and 8, the fingers 13 resting on the upper face of the strip, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

The iron 15 is then engaged with the notch 14 in the frame with the smoothing face thereof resting on that end of the strip extending from the rear end of the frame and when the iron is properly engaged with the notch, the iron is moved forwardl which action will move the frame longituc inally of the strip and as the stretching device is formed of spring metal, the bars 12 will be forced against the up er face of the strip and the face of the strip eld taut in view of the outward inclination of said bars and by so stretching the strip as it passes through the length and it will be readily seen that as the heated iron asses over the strip, the edges 2 'and 3 will e firmly pressed or creased, in

which instance they will remain in their folded position until such time as the strip .is attached to the garment.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very cheap and economical form of holding device, whereby the folded edges of the strip of cloth will be securely held in a folded position, while an iron is being passed over said strip and it will likewise be seen that by employing my improved device, the strip will be formed a uniform width throughout its length.

WVhat I claim is:

1. A holding device of the class described, comprising a frame having a channel at each edge, and spring stretching bars carried by the frame adapted to engage a stri 3 of cloth passing through said frame and iold the same taut.

2. A holding device of the class described,

comprising a frame, channels at the edges of said frame, a stretching device secured to said frame consisting of stretching bars adapted to engage a strip passing through said frame and fingers integral with said stretching bars, adapted to rest on said strip.

3. In a holding device, the combination with a frame having a notch in one end thereof and channels at its longitudinal edges; of a stretching device carried by said frame having spring fingers adapted to engage a strip of cloth passing through said frame and a smoothing iron adapted to en gage said notch and move the frame longitudinally of the strip when the iron is operated to press said strip.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRIETT T. PITCI-IER.

Witnesses:

A. M. VAN ALLEN, FRANCES L. TAYLOR. 

